You may not know the name Blaze Foley, but this 2018 film, co-written and directed by Ethan Hawke, aims to remedy that. Starring Ben Dickey, Alia Shawkat, Sam Rockwell, and country legend Kris Kristofferson, among others, Blaze tells the story of Michael David Fuller, an Arkansas-born musician whose burgeoning career as singer-songwriter Blaze Foley was cut short after a tragic end in 1989.
Unlike Selena, whose outsize legacy in the world of Tejano music was easy to see at a glance, Foley's impact on country music is more widely felt than known. Foley's status as a cult figure within country music — whose songs have been covered by huge stars like Willie Nelson, but who might otherwise be unknown to general country music fans — makes for a fascinating yet melancholy film. Blaze paints an intimate portrait of Foley, informed by the memoir of Sybil Rosen, his one-time girlfriend and self-proclaimed muse. We get close-up and intimate snapshots of Foley's life and career, checking in on his songwriting, his performing, and the love he shared with Rosen.
The incredible chemistry between Ben Dickey and Alia Shawkat, who play Foley and Rosen, respectively, is part of what makes Blaze so memorable. But the film's music, pulled from Foley's discography, is reason enough to watch. Whether you're a longtime fan of Foley or just hearing about him for the first time, Blaze is a hidden musical biopic worth unearthing.
